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Waste collectors blamed for ongoing illegal dumping in Merebank

A cleaning and solid waste officer is calling on the community to stop paying wheelie bin operators as this contributes to illegal dumping.

IN response to the ongoing illegal dumping of waste in Merebank, the cleaning and solid waste officer is sending a stern warning to individuals disposing of waste in undesignated areas along residential roads.

This follows a recent incident where a man was caught dumping illegally on Buldana Road.

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A member of the ward committee for cleaning and solid waste in Ward 68, Neil Pather is now advocating to combat illegal dumping and also encouraging residents to adopt a spot where illegal dumping frequently occurs.

“Adopting a spot where illegal dumping occurs will encourage residents to keep their environment clean – this is another way of beautifying the area.

“Most frequently, we receive complaints about individuals using wheelbarrows to transport refuse from residential homes and dump it along the side of the road. This has become a recurring issue and must be stopped,” said Pather.

A local dumpsite for Merebank is located on Travancore Drive, while Tara Road Garden Site, which is about 4km serves as an alternative.

“It has come to my attention that there are individuals who pay R20 or more to the wheelie bin operators to transport refuse from their homes and dump it along residential roads. These actions are unacceptable and should be strongly condemned by the community,” Pather added.

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He urged residents to adhere to the refuse collection schedule to ensure that waste is collected on time.

According to eThekwini Municipality, illegal dumping is a serious offence, and anyone caught in the act may face a fine of R5000.

Report illegal waste dumping by calling:

031 311 8804 or emailing DSW@durban.gov.za

Any individual interested to adopt a spot where illegal dumping occurs in Merebank should contact Neil Pather on 084 411 4451.

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Andile Sithole

He has been covering a variety of news beats for over 10 years. As a journalist working for community newspapers, he has covered politics, court reporting, municipal stories, crime, and news features over the years. Andile is also a multimedia journalist for Southlands Sun. He started his career in journalism as a freelance reporter in 2005 while studying Communication Science at UNISA. Prior to joining Caxton Newspapers, he worked for both community and commercial newspapers in Durban, where he won the Journalist of the Year Award in 2020 and 2021.

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